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More Celebrity Death from 2012

In addition to the pages from our friends from Channel Guide Magazine, here are some other “celebrity deaths” from the year 2012. I sprinkled some music videos in to jog your memory, just in case you can’t remember some of the great music composers we lost this year. Have fun chair dancing.

Don Brinkley, Celebrated TV writer/producer and father of model Christie Brinkley passed away at the age of 91. His credits included Trapper John, M.D., as well as such other popular programs as Rawhide, Ironside, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Fugitive.

Chuck Brown, The guitarist and singer, who became known as the godfather of the subgenre of funk music referred to as Go-Go, died from multiple organ failure as a result of sepsis. He was 75. His biggest hits included “Bustin’ Loose” and “We Need Some Money.”

Dave Brubeck, the jazz great, best known for his chart-topping Time Out, died one day shy of his 92 birthday.

Leslie Carter, The sister of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and one-time star of E!’s reality show House of Carters tragically passed away at her father’s upstate New York home on Jan. 31. According to a police report obtained by E! News, the 25-year-old aspiring singer died as a result of an overdose, with three prescription drugs found near her body.

Doug Dillard, The influential banjo player, who was a founding member of the family band The Dillards and subsequently brought attention to bluegrass music, passed away from lung cancer. He was 75.

Donald “Duck” Dunn, Legendary bass player, who lent his talents to such hits as “Soul Man” and “Respect,” died in his sleep in Tokyo. He was 70. The Memphis-born musician also worked with the likes of Booker T and the MGs as well as Otis Redding, Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton.

James Farentino, The prolific actor, who’s perhaps best known for costarring with Kirk Douglas in the 1980 sci-fi flick The Final Countdown as well as playing George Clooney’s estranged dad on ER, died Jan. 24 in Los Angeles of heart failure. He was 73.

Bonita Lynn Fields Elder, The former Mouseketeer who thrilled viewers with her dancing on the 1950s children’s show The Mickey Mouse Club and later performed on Broadway, died Nov. 17, 2012 from throat cancer. She was 68.

Jimmy Ellis, Vocalist for famed Philadelphia disco band the Trammps, best known for their hit “Disco Inferno,” which earned them a Grammy after its inclusion on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, died of complications from Alzheimers on March 8. He was 74.

Don Grady, The My Three Sons star, composer and former Mouseketeer died at age 68 after reportedly battling cancer. He is fondly remembered for his big-brother role in the 1960s sitcom.

Jack Hanlon, the Our Gang star died at age 96 in late 2012.

Major Harris, R&B singer who helped pioneer the musical genre known as Philadelphia soul in the ’70s as a member of the Delfonics before moving on to a successful solo career died at the age of 65. Among his best known songs was “Love Won’t Let Me Wait.” (This version of Luther Vandross singing “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” is about 8 minutes long.)

Mike Hossack, Longtime drummer of classic rock band The Doobie Brothers died of cancer at the age of 65 at his home in Dubois, Wyoming on March 13. Hossack was part of a pair of rhythm men keeping time for the Doobies during their heyday in the early ’70s when they scored such hits as “China Grove” and, after 13 years break, rejoined the lineup in 1987.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, of Hawaii, oldest living Senator.

Peter Jones, The one-time drummer for Australian pop group Crowded House, whose hits included ’80s mainstays like “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” died after battling brain cancer. He was 45.

Zalman King, producer, director and screenwriter of 9-1/2 Weeks & Wild Orchid died at the age of 70.

Jon Lord, The Deep Purple keyboardist and founding member died at the age of 71 from a pulmonary embolism after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in London. The British rocker and composer will be remembered for his contributions to Deep Purple, helping write the lyrics to albums that sold over 100 million copies, including the band’s biggest hit, “Smoke on the Water.” He also played for Whitesnake and David Gilmour, among others.

George McGovern, died in October at 90.

Dorothy McGuire, The singer, who along with her siblings Phyllis and Christine, formed the McGuire Sisters, died at the age of 84. The popular 50s trio had a string of hits, including he No.1 classics “Sincerely” and “Sugartime.”

Scott McKenzie, The singer-songwriter, who sang the 1967 hippie anthem “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair),” died after battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that impacts the nervous system. He was 73.

Charles Melniker died in March at the age of 60 from lung cancer.

Miss Melodie, The rapper, whose real name was Ramona Scott, died at the age of 43. A member of the influential group Boogie Down Productions, the Brooklyn native was once married to rapper KRS-One and went on to score a hit with “Live on Stage.” She also appeared in Queen Latifah’s video “Ladies First.”

Ronnie Montrose, The guitarist and bandleader, who famously fronted an eponymous group in the 1970s that featured future Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar on vocals, died of cancer at 64 on March 3. He also appeared on Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey and St. Dominic’s Preview albums and did session work with Boz Scaggs and Herbie Hancock, among others.

Johnny Otis, The rhythym-and-blues pioneer, who produced the original version of “Hound Dog” for Big Mama Thornton and had a huge solo hit with “Willie and the Hand Jive,” died Jan. 17 at his L.A. home after being in poor health for several years. He was 90.

Morgan Paull, The veteran character actor, most famous for his role in Blade Runner, died at the age of 67 after a fight with stomach cancer. In addition to acting, starring in other roles in films like Patton, Norma Rae and Cahill U.S. Marshal, Morgan was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Frank Pierson, Veteran screenwriter, who was a three-time Acadamy Award nominee and won an Oscar for his screenplay of Dog Day Afternoon, died after battling a short illness. He was 87. Pierson most recently had worked on such TV shows as The Good Wife and Mad Men.

Charles “Skip” Pitts, The revered soul guitarist, whose iconic guitar riff for the “Theme From Shaft” helped make both the song and its eponymous movie pop-culture touchstones, died after a battle with cancer. He was 65.

Dory Previn, Oscar-nominated signer and songwriter died in February at the age of 86. Her most famous work was the theme song of the “Valley of the Dolls.”

Deborah Raffin, an actress who ran a successful audiobook company with the help of her celebrity friends, died at the age of 59.Bingham Ray, independent film veteran, suffered a stroke in January while at the Sundance Film Festival at the age of 57.

Marty Richards, producer behind the Broadway productions of “Sweeney Todd” “La Cage aux Folles” and the 2002 big-screen adaptation of “Chicago” died in November at 80.

Jenni Rivera, the Mexican-American singer and star of the reality show I Love Jenni and coach on The Voice Mexico died Dec. 9 after a plane she and six others were on crashed in Mexico. She was 43.

Ann Rutherford, The Gone With the Wind actress, who played Scarlett O’Hara’s younger sister Carreen in the 1939 film, died at age 94.

Ravi Shankar, the 92-year-old sitar master passed away at a hospital near his home in Southern California after heart-valve replacement surgery.

Joe South, The singer-songwriter, who earned Grammy Awards for writing such hits as “Games People Play” and “(I Never Promised You) A Rose Garden,” died of a heart attack at the age of 72. He worked with such artists as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin.

Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson, famed country, bluegrass and gospel musician died in late May at the age of 89.

Bob Welch, The former Fleetwood Mac guitarist was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Nashville. He had been suffering from health problems prior to his death and left a suicide note. He was 65.

Kitty Wells, The Queen of Country Music died at the age of 92 after suffering complications from a stroke. As the first successful female country star, Kitty’s accomplishments include an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as the third country music artist (and eighth woman) so honored.

Yvette Wilson, Funny lady best known for starring in the ’90s UPN sitcom Moesha and its spinoff The Parkers as well as for roles in such flicks as Friday and House Party 2 and House Party 3 has died of cervical cancer. She was 48.

William Windom, The Emmy-winning actor, famous for his roles in Star Trek and To Kill a Mockingbird, died from congestive heart failure at 88.